MUMBAI'S AMAN KHAN MOVES TO PONDICHERRY

MUMBAI: Mumbai allrounder Aman Khan, a T20 specialist, who has played for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL-2022 and the Delhi Capitals in IPL-2023, has quit Mumbai, and will play for Pondicherry as a 'professional' in the 2024-25 domestic season. "Aman Khan took a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association. He will be playing for Pondicherry this season," a source in the MCA told TOI.

The 27-year-old right-arm medium-pacer, who is also a hard-hitting batsman, was acquired by KKR for Rs 20 lakh in the 2022 IPL auction. Before the 2023 IPL, the Delhi Capitals traded him in for India allrounder Shardul Thakur with KKR.

In March last year, DC coach Ricky Ponting, impressed with Khan during training, had said, "Aman Khan is one that has really impressed us, and we traded Shardul (Thakur) with KKR to get him in and he has been ultra-impressive and I don't know how much you have seen of him and his last couple of days at training has been pretty special." However, all Khan managed to score was 110 runs 11 [email protected], and DC released him subsequently.

Khan has played 6 List A matches (34 [email protected] & two [email protected]) and 25 T20s (263 [email protected] & four wickets @40.75) so far. He will now become the fifth Mumbai player who will turn out for Pondicherry after India allrounder Abhishek Nayar, who is currently the KKR assistant coach, left-arm spinner Sagar Udeshi, Sagar Trivedi and Sidak Singh.

"Aman will play in all the formats for us. The culture of Mumbai cricket is helping the growth of our cricket. Mumbai cricketers don't throw their wickets away once they settle down, something that our cricketers lack. The world culture of Mumbai cricketers -whether they are batters or bowlers- is serious. Mumbai is a great team, it has produced champions. They bring in a lot of value to our budding cricketers. Looking at them, our cricketers also grow," P Damodaran, former secretary of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry told TOI.

Khan, former Madhya Pradesh left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma and Arun Kartik (likely) are set to be Pondicherry's two other professional players for the upcoming season.